Yugioh ARC-VX: Sunny Hours
by crow-kun - Knight of the Wind
Summary: Duel Academy is the home to the future greatest duelists of the world, or so they say. However, this prestigious academy holds may secrets inside its walls. Join students Kuro, Serena, and many others as they deal with an oppressive school and come to realize that some times, things just aren't as they seem. (Based off the concept "if GX happened during ARC-V era")
1. Academia

**Hello readers of fan fiction dot net, I am crow and welcome to this story. I'd like to get a little introduction to things outta the way before the chapter starts, just to clear things up about the text. "Quotes" will, of course, be dialogue. 'Apostrophes' will be thoughts, and _italics_ will be dreams/visions/etc. **Bold **will be original card names, and I'll have a little section at the end of each chapter to outline the original cards revealed in that chapter. However, I will only put cards that have their full effects revealed down there, so if a card doesnt show up, expect more to come.** **I guess I should put a disclaimer too: crow does not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, or Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V. These belong to Kazuki Takahashi and Konami.** **Thank you for reading, and enjoy!**

 **SUNNY HOURS**

 **ARC 1 - CHAPTER 1**

 **ARRIVAL**

The sea breeze sprayed salty water onto the ship's passengers, and overhead, the sun shone brightly. The deck was bustling, filled to the brim with the excited chatter of Duel Academy's newest batch of incoming students, and the kids onboard were gleefully running about, dueling, and just enjoying their time before reaching the island.

Kuro Takeuchi, however, was not one of these kids. While many of the upcoming first years were revelling in the summer air and gleefully conversing with their friends, Kuro Takeuchi was alone.

Not by his choice, of course, he was quick to remind his inner monologue. He just simply had the misfortune of not having very many friends who were also duelists, much less who had made it to the prestigious Duel Academy!

And by "not very many", he obviously meant none.

Kuro Takeuchi had no friends. That wasn't to say he was unlikeable, or repulsive, or anything of that sort. He was just... odd. The weird kid.

The one who people shied away from in elementary and junior high school. The one people made fun of for his obsession with the Duel Monsters card game, even in an era where everyone and their mother played it. The one who spent his class time making up Duel Monsters cards rather than studying. So what if he was one of the 10 winners of Industrial Illusion's Worldwide Deckmaking Competition? So what if he was the owner of a completely unique, one-of-a-kind Duel Monsters deck?

The weird kid.

And yet here he was, years later, on a boat headed towards Duel Academy, THE Duel Academy, funded by Kaibacorp, founded by the champion Seto Kaiba himself.

Kuro cracked a smirk and leaned back against the railing. 'Serves them right.'

However, as cool as he felt getting accepted, that still didn't change one simple fact.

Kuro Takeuchi had no friends.

Kuro Takeuchi was, according to himself, a very average person. His excuse to his mother when she'd question why he never went out, or played with his friends, was that he was just "not that interested".

A more accurate answer would be "not that interesting".

Average. That was a good word. Not attractive, not ugly, just... Average. Or boring. Or uninteresting.

Kuro felt his eye twitching.

And yet, despite his moderately good looks, tolerable personality, and mostly positive outlook on life, people seemed to avoid the boy. Maybe it was the way he always seemed to space out while looking at people, or how he always seemed to get in everyone's way despite his active attempts to stay out of the path, or maybe it was something more simple, like how he never spoke more than a couple sentences before trying to talk about Duel Monsters? Oh, or maybe that time he accidentally called a male teacher "mo-"

"Aaaagh, shut up!" He slammed his fist against the railing.

The deck of the ship went quiet. 'Ah, crap.'

He cleared his throat and gave a light chuckle. "H-Heh, sorry." The talking resumed.

'Or maybe it's the fact that I keep trying to talk to my damn inner monologue...' He mused to himself, running a hand through his hair.

With that pesky inner monologue out of the way, Kuro decided to focus on the important things. Things like a character introduction.

Kuro Takeuchi was, as previously mentioned, a very average boy. 15 years old, standing 5'4", and weighing in at 105 lbs exactly, he wasn't anything that would attract attention. Add to those very average stats medium/short brown hair (with its natural state in a messy bedhead, of course. Nothing would move his hair short of a hurricane), a face often described as "generic", and a tendency to be easily forgotten by anyone not currently speaking to him, it made for a less than eventful life. In fact, the one thing _not_ average about Kuro Takeuchi were his eyes and his name. His piercing blue eyes were a sharp contrast to his otherwise quite dull appearance, and the one thing people remembered about him.

The one thing besides his last name.

For you see, Kuro Takeuchi was the son of a pro. Or rather, the son of an _ex-_ pro, one Ms. Maiko Takeuchi. After a devastating loss in the finals of a championship 3 years before Kuro was born, she shamefully left the pro league and bounced from job to job, boyfriend to boyfriend, apartment to apartment, for several years, eventually finally settling in one place to have Kuro. Who his father was, he never knew. But people would never forget who his mother was.

 _"Old Maiko's kid? Let's hope he's not the disappointment she was."_

Kuro found himself grimacing at his thoughts.

However, Duel Academy was a brand new start. It was a chance to prove himself as more than just his mother's son, a chance to prove that the dueling spirit of Maiko Takeuchi lived on through him. He would be the top of Duel Academy, the best of the best!

And of course, with this in mind, he went and got placed in the worst dorm.

Sighing, he glanced around the boat. The Slifer Red Dorm had been split into two and spread out among the Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow boats, due to the ship arranged for Slifer falling apart the instant someone touched it. To make things "fair" (much to the ire of Blue's students) the administration decided to spread out the other dorms as well, maintaining a rather even mix of students.

He sighed again, standing up fully and stretching. 'Well, theres still a few good hours before we reach Academy Island. It can't hurt to socialize with my peers a bit before we reach land.'

With a frown, he looked around again noticing that everyone around him was in very clear yellow and blue themed groups. Figuring it might be a bit too early for him to associate with the "higher ranks", he continued scanning the crowd, finally spotting another red jacket across the deck. 'Aha! Target acquired!'

Worming through the crowd (a fairly easy task due to his small stature and lacking presence), he got a clearer view at the Slifer student he was approaching. They turned out to be a girl, not much taller than him, her violet hair in a high ponytail, tied up by a yellow ribbon. Like him, she wore the Slifer Red uniform, although with her's she wore a red skirt below her red jacket. She gazed out over the sea, emotionless.

"Y-Yo!" Kuro tried sounding as natural as possible, coming to a stop next to where she was standing.

His voice cracked.

He mentally slapped himself at first, but thankfully, it seemed like the girl hadn't heard him. He went in for take two, this time starting with a "Hey!"

Nothing. He sighed inwardly. 'Curse my lack of character presence.' He steeled his nerves and reached out to tap the girl on the shoulder.

The girl jumped at his touch and whirled around, eyes frantic. She settled down a bit when they landed on him, her hand on her chest as her breathing slowed. "Don't scare me like that! At least say something first." Kuro scratched the back of his head, a sheepish expression on his face. "S-Sorry.." 'But I did say something. Twice.'

The girl sighed and put her hands on her face, the same steely expression on her face. "Well, can I help you?" Her tone took Kuro a bit by surprise, and he stepped back. "W-Well," he stuttered out, "I just figured it would be good to socialize with someone else from my dorm, and considering you're the only other Slifer on the main deck right now..."

The girl's expression softened immensely as she looked around, seeing the ship's population for herself. "I see, that does make sense." Kuro grinned at her before holding out his hand. "M' n-name's Kuro. Pleased to meet ya." The girl blinked at him a few times before returning the handshake. "I'm Serena."

Kuro frowned a little at her cold response, but decided it was perfectly normal considering the circumstances. After all, he was a total stranger to her.

The girl, Serena, gave him another look before returning to gaze at the sea. He took a spot at the railing next to her, looking out as well. "So, is seagazing a hobby of yours, or what? I feel like it'd get old after a while, but if thats your thing thats cool." The girl glanced at him, a curious expression on her face. "There isn't really much to do on here, is there? After you go through your deck a couple dozen times, it becomes a bit mundane. Besides," she added, pointing into the distance, "the island is in sight."

Kuro shaded his eyes from the sun, squinting at where she was pointing. "Huh, so it is. This went way faster than I expected." He turned to her and gave a light grin. "So, what brings you to Duel Academy?"

Serena raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean by that? I'm here to duel, why else?"

Kuro chuckled lightly. "Pretty simple answer. No ambitions, no aspirations?" Serena thought to herself, before speaking again, "I suppose the reason I'm here is... to find people like me."

Kuro put his hands in his pockets, tilting his head at her. "People like you?" She nodded. "None of my peers really respected dueling. The way I see things, this is my chance to prove my passion, both to myself and to the world." Serena glanced at him again. "And what about you?"

Kuro grinned. "Same for me. Almost exactly, really." The girl laughed at that. "So, what's with the deep question? Kind of odd for someone you just met, don't you think?"

Kuro scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess. W-Well, I jus' always think to m'self that 'dueling brings people together'. So, if I can ask about someone's passion for their dueling," his grin returned, "then that's the first step to making a new friend!"

Serena stared at him, shocked by the forwardness of his answer, before smiling in return. "Yeah, maybe so."

 _"Attention, students! We have arrived at Duel Academy. Please disembark in an orderly fashion and make your way to your respective dorms."_

 **~GXGXGX~**

 **Serena and Kuro walked together to the location of the Slifer Red male dorms and said their temporary goodbyes as she left for the female dorms.**

 **~GXGXGX~**

Kuro walked up the creaky steps, taking just how decrepit the Slifer Red dorms really were. 'I knew there was class discrimination here, but I didn't think it'd be so bad...'

Quickly finding his room, he examined a package outside the door with his name on it, seemingly from Academy administration. Picking it up, he took his first steps into his home for the next 3 years.

And immediately was struck by how... _average_ the room was. He expected some ruined room, falling apart walls, broken windows, but instead what he got was a fairly normal apartment with a bunk bed, a desk, and a moderate closet.

The second thing he noticed was that the room contained another person.

Said person was dressed in a modified version of the Slifer uniform, mostly white with red accents in addition to it clearly being much too long. But the first thing he noticed was the person's hair. Long, blond, and going down to nearly his knees, tied together in a neat ponytail.

The second thing was the persons eyes. An electric blue, different to Kuro's own icy eyes, yet just as striking.

The person in question was lounging on the lower bunk, reading was appeared to be a manga. A moment later, he took notice of Kuro and tossed the book aside carelessly, standing up and walking over to him, a grin present. "Yo, you must be the first year I was told about. Kuro, right?" The boy nodded, startled at how much taller this guy was. As if his other features weren't enough, the man stood easily 6ft. In a sense, he was the exact opposite of Kuro, something the boy took notice of quickly.

The grin on the man's face never wavered. "Sweet, sweet. I'm your roommate, Reido Katsuryoku, 2nd year." The man, Reido, extended his arm to the shorter boy. "But my nickname 'round here is 'Slifer's Zero'."

Kuro shook his hand, blinking in confusion at the nickname. "Zero, huh? Why d'they call you that?" Reido's grin widened. "Eh, probably because that's about how many classes I attend." Kuro blinked again, in shock this time. "W-Wait, y'mean you jus'... don't go to class?"

Reido laughed loudly. "Yeah, someth'n like that. I'd much rather spend time here," he said, flopping back on the bunk before he pointed at Kuro with a serious expression. "I'm a bad role model."

Kuro blinked yet again, not really sure what to think of this. However, before he could formulate a response, he was distracted bt the beeping coming from his package. Reido eyed it curiously. "You know, that package is your Duel Disk. And when it's beeping like that, it's probably important."

Kuro tore open the package to see a message on his Disk's screen, signed administration;

 _"Attention 1st years,_

 _Please report to the duel arena immediately for your orientation speech._

 _-Administration"_

Reido grinned at the boy again. "Well, you better get moving eh?"

 **~GXGXGX~**

 **Kuro headed toward the school, meeting up with Serena yet again on the way. They discussed their rooms, and roommates, before arriving at the school building.**

 **~GXGXGX~**

It seemed that the straggling Slifers were the last 1st years to arrive, a fact that made much more sense when they realized how close to the school the Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue dorms were.

"It's not fair, why don't they have to walk a whole mile before they reach the school?" Serena muttered to no one in particular.

It seemed "no one in particular" had a response.

"Please, you can not really suggest someone like an Obelisk be placed at the same standards as you Slifer _scum_ ," "no one in particular" spat.

Kuro and Serena turned to the voice, which turned out to be a girl in an Obelisk uniform. She had long, waist length, blonde hair, and wore a long skirt with her Obelisk jacket. She also carried herself with authority, something Kuro noticed with dismay.

'Why does everyone have more of a presence than me?'

Serena's thoughts were more vocal. "And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?"

The girl flipped her hair and glared at Serena. "I believe you know exactly what it is I mean. You Slifer's should really learn your place, before you are hit with an, "her eyes narrowed, "unfortunate accident."

The girl flipped her hair again and walked off, leaving the two Slifers with their first bitter taste of Duel Academy.

 **~GXGXGX~**

 **Kuro and Serena made their way to the stands and listened to the long, boring speech prepared by the headmaster, a rather imposing man named "Headmaster Shikigami".**

 **~GXGXGX~**

"...and so I hope all of you students enjoy your first wonderful year at Duel Academy!"

The student body collectively sighed, glad the speech was over. However, their relief was misplaced, as the headmaster spoke up yet again.

"Now, for our finale, a speech from the First Year Student Representative, miss Marie Shirogane!"

The students clapped politely as a girl walked out onto the stage and took the mic the headmaster offered her. Serena and Kuro gasped, recognizing her as the same girl that had harassed them before the speech began. 'Someone like her is representative?'

"Thank you, Headmaster Shikigami. As the proud representative of Obelisk Blue, and by extension the first year class as a whole, I would like to share some sentiments with you all..."

The girl, now known to them as Marie, began her speech. It was just as long, and filled with not-so-subtle Obelisk elitism. Beyond that, Kuro couldn't even remember what was being said (he would later admit to Reido that he has zoned out while listening to it).

"...and I hope that we all can **find our place** at this lovely academy," she finished, very obviously glaring at the Slifer students as she said it.

The crowd clapped for her, Obelisk Blue much more than the others. With another flip of her hair, Marie Shirogane left the stage.

Serena and Kuro glanced at each other, wondering the same thing.

'Are they all like her?'

 **~GXGXGX~**

 **Kuro and Serena returned to their dorms as night fell, eager to get some rest after their long first day.**

 **~GXGXGX~**

Kuro entered his room dragging his feet, weary from the trek back to the Slifer dorms. Reido watched him come in, an eyebrow raised at the sight. "You know, if that walk makes you this tired, maybe you aren't cut out for this school. Gotta walk it every day, after all." Kuro groaned in response, collapsing against the ladder to the top bunk. Reido sighed, closing his book. "Tell you what. I'll give up the bottom bunk for you, how's thst sound."

Kuro looked up just in time to see Reido grab the edge of the top bunk and swing himself around, landing laying down. He grinned at the younger Slifer.

Kuro collapsed on the bed and promptly passed out.

 **~GXGXGX~**

Serena, on the other hand, didn't have the luxury of an understanding roommate.

Her dorm room was shared with a second year girl named Misako Miyamoto, who seemed to be intent on keeping Serena up all night with her constant complaining. And no matter how many times Serena spoke up, the girl just carried on and on and on.

"...and so, like, it's totally ridiculous, right? Like, why does my no-good brother of all people get to go straight to Obelisk when I'm stuck down here in Slifer? It really just isn't fair, I deserve it waaaaay more than him. He hasn't worked for anything, like ever, and he just always..."

The girl's chattering continued. Serena rubbed her temples, before laying down and pressing her pillows against her ears, hoping to drown out her annoying roommate.

It was going to be a long night.

 **END CHAPTER 1**

 **Up next: Will Kuro learn to handle the horrifying half-mile from the school to the dorm? Does anything exciting happen in this story? Find out next time, on Overused Joke Z!**


	2. Of Knights and Mages

**SUNNY HOURS**

 **ARC 1 - CHAPTER 2**

 **ARRIVAL**

'Crap crap crap!' Kuro shouted in his mind as he ran through the forest toward the Academy building. 'I knew I shouldn't have trusted Reido to wake me up!'

The young Slifer boy was running late to his first class of the school year, and it was all his lazy roommate's fault.

Okay, it might have been his fault for not setting his alarm clock the night before, but would he ever admit that? Of course not! And by that logic, it had to be Reido's fault!

Satisfied with his thought process, Kuro made to speed up and reach class when suddenly-

"P-Please! I'll give them to you, just leave me alone!"

Kuro slid to a stop, hearing someone's cries, and did the natural thing.

He hid behind a tree to observe the situation from afar.

A little ways down the path, he could see a group of students in blue, crowding around something on the ground. He blinked, and did a double take.

That "something on the ground" was another student. A Slifer, to be exact!

Kuro's mind whirled at the sight. 'I knew there was classism, but... I didnt think there would be this level of bullying!'

Moving a little closer, he took note that there were three Obelisks, girls, and that the Slifer on the ground seemed to be a girl as well. He heard the Obelisk students talking among themselves.

"These are supposed to be rare cards? Man, looks like this was a waste of time after all."

"Well yeah, it's not like some Slifer scum would have rare cards. I still can't believe you thought that rumor was true!"

Kuro narrowed his eyes at their words. 'So not just bullies, but thieves too? That's going too far!'

His mind made up, he stepped out from behind the tree and shouted at the Obelisks, trying to sound as intimidating as possible, "Hey, you! Leave that girl alone!"

His voice cracked.

His face began to redden, before he realized that none of the girls had heard him at all. The boy sweatdropped, cursing his lack of presence yet again. He stepped closer and cleared his throat, ready for take two.

 **"HEYYY! LEAVE 'ER ALONE!"** Two of the Obelisk girls jumped and spun around to face him, while the third simply turned to him and glared. The girl on the ground took the opportunity to grab some of her scattered cards off the ground and scramble away, much to the anger of the Obelisk students.

"Look what you did, brat! She ran off, all because of your meddling! Ever been taught to mind your business?" One of the girls sneered at him.

Kuro swallowed hard, beginning to sweat. These were Obelisks, the top dorm on campus. They could get away with anything! What was he thinking, a lowly Slifer, challenging them like this? "Y-You shouldn't steal people's cards! It isn't right!"

The two closer girls seemed surprised with him, while the third simply narrowed her eyes. He took this time to continue, "I-I want to duel you! If I win, give me that girl's cards you took!"

The girls exchanged a glance before bursting out laughing. "You? A Slifer? Wants to duel us? How sad!"

Both of the girls activated their duel disks, smirking. "Fine, then let's get this thrashing over wi-"

However, it seemed the third girl had other plans. "Wait," she cut them off, stepping closer, "I will duel him."

The two girls were shocked. "B-But, Lady Marie, this boy's below you! You should let us take care of him!"

As she said that, Kuro finally realized who the third student was. "You're the first year representative! I remember you from the orientation speech!"

Marie narrowed her eyes at him again. "Yes, and you are the Slifer brat that ran into me in the hallway."

Kuro nodded, before blinking in surprise. "Wait, you actually remembered me?"

She scoffed in response. "Of course. I still need to pay you back for your disrespectful actions. As such, you will be dueling me for this girl's cards." She lightly smirked. "And I am sure we both know how this shall turn out."

Kuro's legs began to shake as he realized what kind of situation he was in. 'She's the year rep... Only someone who scores perfectly on the entrance exams could make that spot! Oh jeez, what have I gotten myself into...'

This did not go unnoticed by the other girls, who began snickering. "Look at the little brat, he's terrified. Go on, run along! We don't blame you, especially since the number one first year wants to duel you!"

Kuro closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Don't get ahead o' y'self! I ain't scared, and to top it all off, I'll be the winner! So let's get it over with!"

Marie raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? I respect your courage, as misplaced as it is. So yes, let us get this over with."

 **"DUEL!"**

 **~GXGXGX~**

"Hello students, my name is Professor Akaba, and I will be your Duel Studies teacher. In this class, we will be learning different methods of dueling, and you will be tasked with developing your strategies for the many field exams we will have. Now, who can tell me the difference between..."

Serena tuned out the professor, glancing at the empty seat next to her worriedly. 'Where could he be? I should have checked on him this morning, but I was too concerned with being late...'

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door to the classroom slamming open, revealing a rather battered and disheveled Slifer girl in the doorway. Professor Akaba faltered, surprised by the sudden intrusion, and directed his attention to the student, asking, "Well, is there something you need?"

The girl elected to ignore him, scanning the room instead before her eyes landed on Serena. She zeroed in, running across the floor and up the stands before slamming her hands down on Serena's desk.

Serena was taken aback by the girl's behavior, barely managing to stutter out, "C-Can I help you?" before the girl started talking, her eyes fierce.

"You know that guy? The one you were with yesterday?"

Serena blinked at the question. "You mean... Kuro?" The girl nodded vigorously. Serena cautiously spoke again, "What about him?"

The girl slammed her hands down on the desk again for effect, startling the nearby students, before continuing, "He's dueling! Our first year rep!"

Serena's eyes went wide as she stood up suddenly, knocking over her chair and startling the nearby students yet again. "He's what? By himself?" The girl nodded again. "Lead me!"

The two girls ran out of the classroom, oblivious to the professor's desperate attempts to figure out what was going on.

 **~GXGXGX~**

"Alright, I'll take the first move!" Kuuro shouted, ripping a card out of his Duel Disk.

 **Turn 1 - Kuro - 4000LP** **\- 6 Cards**

"And to start things off, I'll be summoning my **Kaijo Knight - Rex of the Dual Blades** in attack mode!" A boy with long blue hair not much taller than Kuro appeared, wieielding two curved swords.

(Level 4 - EARTH/Beast-Warrior/Effect - 1600 ATK/300 DEF)

Marie raised her eyebrows at his monster. "What is this? I have never heard of this archetype before. Are these cards legal?"

Kuro responded by grinning. "They're not just legal, they're one of a kind! Y'see I won a little contest from IndustriaI Illusions, and the reward was my dream deck come to life!"

His opponent narrowed her eyes at him. 'It seems the rumors of rare cards in Slifer Red were true, to an extent.'

Grin still present, Kuro made his next move. "Since I can't attack turn one, I'll just lay a face-down before ending my turn!"

Marie scoffed, drawing her card. "It will take a lot more than that to deal with me."

 **Turn 2 - Marie - 4000LP - 6 Cards**

"I will start with my own monster, my Magician's Valkyria." The Dark Magician Girl lookalike rose to the field next to her.

(Level 4 - LIGHT/Spellcaster/Effect - 1600ATK/1800DEF)

Kuro's grin widened, somehow. "Spellcasters eh? I've always wanted to duel a good Spellcaster deck!"

Marie sighed at his enthusiasm. "Yes, well, my deck is far more than just good. Next, I shall discard my Chocolate Magician Girl in order to Special Summon The Tricky to the field!" The jester-like mage gave an exaggerated bow as it appeared.

(Level 5 - WIND/Spellcaster/Effect - 2000ATK/1200DEF)

"And next... I play the Spell Card **A Magician Girl's Comeback**! With this, I can Special Summon any 'Magician Girl' monster in my Graveyard. Of course, the only one there is my Chocolate Magician Girl!" The blue-clad sorceress winked at Kuro as she appeared, much to Marie's apparent annoyance. "Not only is she summoned, but she gains 2000 ATK in this turn only!"

(Level 4 - WATER/Spellcaster/Effect - 3600ATK/1000DEF)

The other Obelisk girls snickered at the duel. "Now that Lady Marie has these monsters, there's no way this brat can win!"

"And now, she will attack your Knight!"

Kuro grinned, flipping the facedown on his field. "Not so fast! I activate my trap! **Ritual Art - Hell's Gate**! Not only is your attack negated, but I can destroy your monster as well as one I control in order to Ritual Summon a monster from my hand, one who has a level equal or less than their levels of course!"

Marie and her goons were shocked at his play. "R-Ritual Monsters? In the hands of a no-good Slifer?" one of the girls sputtered. The other nodded, adding, "I didn't even know there were Ritual Trap cards!"

"Heh, don't flatter me yet! Wait til you see my monster, and boy do I have the perfect one! O Sealed Gods, grant me the strength to break free of all bonds! Come, Ritual Summon! **Released Kaijo Knight, Toki the Time Mage**!" A girl with blonde twintails, clad in a red dress with clock motifs and wielding a staff topped with a clock, twirled into existence, resting her arms on Kuro's head.

(Level 8 - LIGHT/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect - 2800ATK/2500DEF)

Marie grimaced, realizing the clear disandvantage she held. "I will now set one facedown, and end my turn."

Kuro smirked, drawing his next card. "Understandable."

 **Turn 3 - Kuro - 4000LP - 4 Cards**

Kuro's grin persisted as he looked at his hand. "Okay, here's a little somethin' for ya! I activate Toki's first ability, and by discarding a "Kaijo Knight" monster I can bounce a Trap or Spell back to the top of the owner's deck! So into the grave goes my **Hidori the Heron** , and back to your deck goes that facedown!"

Marie grimaced as her Mirror Force returned to her deck.

"But wait, there's more! Cuz now I get to attack, and I'd like to take down Mr. Tricky over there but your Valkyria's effect has other ideas. But that won't be a problem, since she's got less attack anyway! Go, Toki! Temporal Burst!"

Marie flinched as the Ritual Monster fired a beam from her staff that enveloped Magician's Valkyria before exploding.

 **KURO - 4000**

 **MARIE -** **2800**

Kuro and his monster bowed in sync, and he slid one card into his Duel Disk. "I'll end this act with a little face-down present for ya."

Marie glared at him. "Tch, fine. It is my turn, and I draw."

 **Turn 4 - Marie - 2800LP - 2 Cards**

She grimaced as she drew the Mirror Force Toki's effect removed from her field. 'If I play it again, he will most likely just use the same effect to remove it yet again. I need to get rid of that monster's effect somehow... Yes, this will work!'

"I tribute The Tricky in order to Advance Summon my **Dark Magician**!" The iconic mage rose to her field, his arms crossed.

(Level 6 - DARK/Spellcaster/Effect - 2500ATK/2100DEF)

Kuro whistled at the sight of her monster. "Now this is the kinda deck I've been waiting for! Show me what you've got!"

Marie's eye twitched at the shorter boy's permanent enthusiasm, but she continued her turn nonetheless. "Now I shall activate my Magician's effect!"

Her goons cheered her on from the sidelines. "It's time for Lady Marie's unbeatable combo! You're done for, runt!"

Kuro blinked, before tilting his head in confusion. "Y'know, I didn't actually know Dark Magician _had_ an effect."

Marie allowed a smirk to grace her face. "Yes, well, you are not the only one at this school with special cards. Dark Magician's effect allows me to Special Summon any 'Magician Girl' from my hand or deck! So, I shall bring out a special monster of mine, my **Odd-Eyes Magician Girl**!" The red-clad magical girl spun around Marie before settling to a stop next to the Dark Magician.

(Level 7 - DARK/Spellcaster/Effect - 2200ATK/1700DEF)

Kuro's eyes widened in awe at the magician's abilities. "Woah, that was a sweet move. Guess you ain't the top for nothin', you're pretty tough!"

Marie blushed slightly at the boy's unexpected praise, before clearing ber throat. "Yes, well, that is not all I have in store."

The other two girls glanced at each other, confused. "Did she just-" "Yeah, she did..."

Marie composed herself and continued her turn. "Now, my new Magician Girl's effect activates! Once per turn, I can add a Pendulum Monster from my deck to my hand for each monster I control!"

Kuro's grin reached maximum capacity. "Pendulum?? You mean that technique that only the best of the best use!? Haha, you must be even better than I thought!"

"That is right! Like you said, I am not the top for nothing! Now, I shall set the Pendulum Scale using my Scale 1 **Kunoichi Magician Girl** as well as my Scale 8 **Blackout Magician Girl**!" Two pillars of light appeared next to her, and inside them rose a girl dressed as a female ninja in the left, and a girl similar in appearance to the Dark Magician Girl but dressed in all black in the right. "Now, I shall activate my Blackout Magician Girl's first Pendulum effect in order to add a Spell Card from my deck to my hand. That Spell just happens to be my Spellbook of Power, which I play now, targetting my Dark Magician!"

Dark Magician: 2500 ATK - 3500 ATK

"And now I attack your Toki the Time Mage with my Odd-Eyes Magician Girl!"

Kuro blinked in shock. "Wait, but your Magician Girl still has less ATK than my Toki!"

Marie laughed, raising her hand over her head. "Kunoichi Magician Girl's first Pendulum Effect activates! When a 'Magician Girl' monster I control is about to be destroyed by battle, I negate that attack that would cause that destruction! In addition, all of my opponent's monsters lose 300 ATK!"

Toki the Time Mage: 2800 ATK - 2500 ATK

Kuro flinched as his monster's attack dropped. 'Damn, that was clever! But I won't let her take my Toki!'

Marie snapped her fingers. "Now, Dark Magician attacks the weakened Time Mage!"

Kuro smirked, pressing the button on his Duel Disk that activates face-downs. "Not so fast! My face-down, **Ritual Art - Death Gate** has something to say about that!"

However, nothing happened, and Dark Magician's attack continued unimpeded.

 **KURO - 3000**

 **MARIE - 2800**

"W-What? Why didn't my trap activate?"

Marie chuckled, obviously amused by his frustrated appearance. "Blackout Magician Girl's other Pendulum Effect. My opponent cannot activate Spells or Traps during the Battle Phase."

"Heh, I gotta admit, that wasn't bad. I take it that was the end of your turn?"

"Almost," she replied, drawing a card from her deck. "Thanks to Spellbook of Power's effect, since Dark Magician destroyed a monster, I get to add a 'Spellbook' Spell Card from my deck to my hand. And now, I shall set one facedown and end my turn."

Dark Magician: 3500ATK - 2500ATK

Kuro ripped another card out of his deck, ready to get into his turn. "Here goes!"

 **Turn 5 - Kuro - 3000LP - 3 Cards**

He grinned, surveying his hand. "Seems like things are looking up!"

He revealed a Spell Card in his hand. "I'm gonna activate my Fusion Spell **Data Fusion!** Using this, I can shuffle monsters from my field or Graveyard back into the deck in order to Fusion Summon a monster that lists those as materials! So there go Rex and Hidori, back into my deck!"

A swirling vortex appeared behind him as he chanted, "O Sealed Gods, grant us the energy to awaken true strength, and overcome all adversity! Come, Fusion Summon! Level 6, **Awakened Kaijo Knight - Camille the Draco Rider**!" From within the vortex appeared a girl with purple hair and black armor riding on the back of a wyvern.

(Level 6 - FIRE/Dragon/Fusion/Effect - 3000ATK/2500DEF)

Marie's goons gawked at the girl on the dragon, shocked at her strength. "That monster's stronger than any of Lady Marie's monsters!"

Marie simply stared at the monster, impressed. 'How is it this boy has such powerful cards, yet he's stuck as a lowly Slifer?'

Kuro's voice broke her from her trance. "First, I play somethin' called **Ritual Art - Uncovered Riches** , which allows me to draw two cards as long as I control a 'Kaijo Knight' monster! And now, I'm gonna change up the scenery a bit with a Field Spell! Specifically, my **Ritual Art - Festival** **Night!** " The forest around them changed to have numerous booths with paper lanterns strung between them. The scent of numerous festival foods filled the air, and the Obelisk girls were once again struck with awe, this time at the beautiful festival the Slifer boy had conjured up.

"Enjoying the festivities? My monsters sure are, because with Festival Night in play all 'Kaijo Knight' monsters gain 500 ATK!"

Camille the Draco Rider: 3000ATK - 3500ATK

"And that's not all! With this festival, I can bring a friend! Once per turn it lets me Special Summon a Level 6 or lower 'Kaijo Knight' Ritual Monster in my hand with no cost at all! So please, enjoy the festival, **Released Kaijo Knight - Samael the Venom**!" A dark-skinned man clad in a white toga with angel wings on his back rose out of the ground.

(Level 5 - DARK/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect - 2300ATK/2000DEF)

Samael the Venom: 2300ATK - 2800ATK

"And thanks to his effect I can add a 'Kaijo Knight' monster from my deck to my hand when he's Summoned! I choose my **Kaijo Knight - Kuroitori the Blackbird** , who I then Special Summon with his own effect! Since I control a 'Kaijo Knight' Ritual Monster, he comes to the field in defensse!" An androgynous human with black bird wings clad in a red and white kimono appeared on Kuro's field and knelt down.

(Level 6 - DARK/Spellcaster/Effect - 1300ATK/2300DEF)

Kuro grinned at the faces of the Obelisk girls. "You said something about Miss Marie's 'unstoppable combo'? I guess you could say this is mine. But trust me, the fun is only just beginning, because while Samael is on the field, your monsters lose 200 ATK!"

Dark Magician: 2500ATK - 2300ATK

Odd-Eyes Magician Girl: 2200ATK - 2000ATK

Kuro bowed to the girls. "I think y'know what's next."

Marie narrowed her eyes. "I take it you wish to attack?"

Kuro straightened up and grinned, pointing at her. "Damn right! Camille will attack your Magician Girl!"

"I do not think so! I activate Mirror Force!" Marie shouted, activating her facedown.

Kuro snapped his fingers. "Not to worry! While Festival Night is in play, none of my 'Kaijo Knight' monsters can be affected by your Spells or Traps! The attack goes through!"

Marie winced as her Magician Girl was destroyed by the dragon rider.

 **KURO - 3000**

 **MARIE - 1300**

"And now, Samael attacks your Dark Magician!"

 **KURO - 3000**

 **MARIE - 800**

"And with that, my turn is over." Kuro bowed yet again.

Marie stared at the boy for a minute, before drawing her next card. 'This boy... He has exceeded my expectations at every turn. Victory... may not be within my grasps this time.'

 **Turn 6 - Marie - 800LP - 1 Card**

"I may not win this, but I shall not go down without a fight!" She declared, playing her last card.

The eyes of everyone else present widened. 'Did she just admit that she'd lose?'

"Using my already set Pendulum Scale, I can freely summon monsters from levels 2 to 7! Now, I shall Pendulum Summon my ace monster! Come, from the depths of the arcane, my eternal servant! Pendulum Summon! Level 7, **Purescale Magician Girl**!" A girl in pure white robes, holding a ball on a string that ticked back and forth, back and forth, as though it were a metronome, appeared on Marie's field.

(Level 7 - LIGHT/Spellcaster/Effect - 2500ATK/2000DEF)

Purescale Magician Girl: 2500ATK - 2300ATK

"She looks tough, but you know she can't beat any of my monsters with those ATK points," Kuro reminded her.

Marie simply smirked. "That is where her effect comes into play. When she attacks an opponent's monster, she gains 500 ATK for each monster you control! Now, go my Magician Girl! Attack Samael the Venom!"

Purescale Magician Girl: 2300ATK - 3800ATK

Kuro braced himself as the attack hit, but his grin was still present through the whole thing.

 **KURO - 2000**

 **MARIE - 800**

"That ends my turn."

Purescale: 3800 - 2300

Kuro nodded. "That's definitely what I'd call 'going out with a bang'."

He drew his card, not even bothering to look at it.

 **Turn 7 - Kuro - 2000LP - 1 Card**

Kuro pointed across the field at Marie. "Camille, destroy her Magician Girl!"

The dragon rider obliged, wiping out Marie's last monster as well as her Life Points.

 **KURO - 2000**

 **MARIE - 0**

 **WINNER: KURO**

As the holograms faded, no one dared to move, or to even speak.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of someone clapping. Turning toward the source of the noise, Kuro was surprised to see not only the girl he saved earlier, but Serena as well. The former was the one doing the clapping, while the latter was simply staring at Kuro, impressed.

"Bravo, bravo! What a wonderful performance!" The clapping girl cheered. Seeing her made something click in Kuro's mind, and he whirled around to point at Marie, exclaiming, "That's right! I got so caught up in the duel that I nearly forgot the reason we were dueling in the first place! Give this girl back her cards!"

Marie nodded. "Of course. I won't break my word, especially to such a strong opponent," she added, a faint blush present on her face. She gestured to her goons, who gave back the stolen cards.

Serena walked over to her friend, an amused expression on her face. "Playing hero, huh?" Kuro grinned embarrassedly, scratching the back of his head. "Hey, if I didn't do something who would?" Serena chuckled at this, replying, "A strong sense of justice can be a good thing. Just, try not to skip class for it next time."

Kuro's eyes widened at her words. "Crap, you're right! I completely forgot about class! Ack, I hope I didn't miss anything big..."

Marie took this moment to clear her throat, and the two Slifers turned to her. She cleared her throat again, before speaking, "Well, I suppose it would only be fair if we did something for you. After all, it is our fault you missed class. How about, when we attend Professor Akaba's lecture later today, I shall take a second copy of notes for you?" She smiled, her first genuine smile since the duel started.

Kuro was surprised at her words. "Wow, this is way different than your attitude before. What happened to all that 'Slifer scum' talk?"

She looked away, obviously embarrassed. "Y-Yes, well, you have proved me wrong about you. To think, a mere Slifer would have this kind of power... had we not dueled I would not have believed someone from the lowest dorm could somehow be stronger than even me. But, as they say, dueling can reveal the truth in anyone."

Kuro thought to himself for a second. before nodding, a determined expression on his face. "In that case, promise me something!" The Obelisk girls looked at him, confused. He paused before continuing, "Promise me you won't steal any more cards! If I found out you did..." He grinned, "Well next time, I won't go easy!"

With that, he turned and headed back toward the Slifer dorm with Serena and the other girl following behind, leaving the Obelisks, particularly Marie, dumbfounded.

'Going easy???'

 **~GXGXGX~**

Kuro anf Serena sat on the floor in the boy's dorm room, along with the girl from before, who had introduced herself as Ariel Mikami, another Slifer first year. Reido had taken up a position sitting on the bottom bunk, leaning in to listen to them. They had just finished recounting the day's events to Reido, who nodded approvingly. "Skipping school on the first day, I like it."

Kuro and Serena sighed, while Ariel burst out laughing.

Once she had calmed down, she turned to Kuro with an accusatory expression on her face. "Why didn't anyone tell me my rescuer was roomed with the secind strongest duelist on campus? That just isn't fair!"

Kuro and Serena were both taken aback. "Second strongest?" Kuro questioned to Reido. "I thought you were supposed to be some dropout duelist with terrible grades?"

Reido put his hand in his chest in an exagggerated fashion. "You wound me, my tiny friend! But yeah, I guess what the girl says is right. Out of my two years here, I've only ever lost to one person, another second year like me." Kuro and Serena scooted closer, eager to hear about their mysterious senior. "Who was it?" Kuro questioned.

Reido leaned back, resting his head against the wall. "They call him the Kaiser, but his real name's Ryo Marufuji. He's undefeated, never having lost even once in his two years at this school. Let me tell you, his Cyber monsters... Well, they're nothin' to scoff at, thats for sure."

Kuro and Serena stared at him in awe, while Ariel simply nodded knowingly.

Suddenly, Reido grinned and leaned forward. "But that's not important. Now tell me, is this Marie girl hot or not?"

Kuro and Serena sighed again, and Ariel burst into another fit of laughter.

 **~GXGXGX~**

 _Later, that night_

"Kuro Takeuchi, you say?"

Marie nodded, gazing intently at the person across from her. "He is a powerful duelist, one that does not belong in Slifer Red. He beat even me without breaking a sweat."

The man on the other side of the desk sighed. This man was none other than Duel Academy's own Headmaster Shikigami. "Well, that may be, but you know I can't just move students up whenever I please. I will take this into consideration when the first Advancement Exam comes, Miss Shirogane. Now please, you should return to your dorm. It is late after all."

Marie stood up, bowing to the headmaster. "Thank you for your consideration," she said, before leaving the room.

After the door was fully shut, the headmaster pulled up a student file on his computer. "Kuro Takeuchi... Yes, he may prove useful indeed..."

 **END CHAPTER 2**

 **Card Corner:**

 **A Magician Girl's Comeback**

 **Normal Spell**

 **Special Summon 1 "Magician Girl" monster from your Graveyard; it gains 2000 ATK until the end of the turn.**

 **Ritual Art - Hell's Gate**

 **Ritual Trap**

 **When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Negate the attack and destroy the attacking monster, as well as 1 or more monsters on your field; Ritual Summon any "Kaijo Knight" Ritual Monster from your hand or GY whose level is equal to or less than the total Levels of the monsters destroyed by this card's effect.**

 **Dark Magician**

 **Level 6**

 **DARK**

 **Spellcaster/Effect**

 **2500 ATK**

 **2100 DEF**

 **When this card is Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 "Magician Girl" monster from your hand or Deck. This card is treated as a Normal Monster while in your hand or Graveyard.**

 **Data Fusion**

 **Quick Play Spell**

 **Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck by shuffling the Fusion Materials listed back into your deck from your field or GY.**

 **Ritual Art - Uncovered Riches**

 **Normal Spell**

 **If you control a face-up 'Kaijo Knight' Monster, draw 2 cards.**

 **Ritual Art - Festival Night**

 **Field Spell**

 **"Kaijo Knight" monsters you control gain 500 ATK, and are not affected by card effects. Once per turn: You can Special Summon a Level 8 or lower "Kaijo Knight" Ritual Monster from your hand with no cost (This counts as a Ritual Summon).**

 **Released Kaijo Knight - Samael the Venom**

 **Level 5**

 **DARK**

 **Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect**

 **2300 ATK**

 **2000 DEF**

 **You can Ritual Summon this card with any "Ritual Art" Ritual Card. This card is always treated as both LIGHT and DARK attribute. When this card is Ritual Summoned; add 1 "Kaijo Knight" monster from your Deck to your hand. While this card is on the field, monsters your opponent controls lose 200 ATK on each Standby Phase.**

 **~GXGXGX~**

 **This chapter, we got to see a glimpse of Kuro Takeuchi's unique Ritual Deck, the Kaijo Knights, as well as the majestic Magician Girls of Marie Shirogane. However, in the next chapter we'll take a departure from Knights and Mages and take a more mechanical approach. So, tune in next time on** **Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-VX: Sunny Hours for the next adventure in Cyber Showdown!**


End file.
